Sunday, June 14, 2009

Last-Minute Shakespearean Father's Day Gift Ideas

With just a week to go before Father's Day, you're waiting anxiously (I'm sure) for the books and DVDs and diamond-studded power tools that you ordered Dear Old Dad to arrive.

But what if shipping is delayed? What if they packed the wrong book? What if the DVD is in PAL-2 format, unplayable where Dear Old Dad lives?

Don't worry! Here are three quick and easy gift ideas for your father:

A Shakespeare Mask. Print one of the portraits of Shakespeare (I've used the image from the First Folio—see image above) on heavy card stock. Cut around the head and cut holes for the eyes (trying not to think of Gloucester as you do so). Tape this to a stick or ruler. Voilá!

A Shakespeare Play. Dad would love to see you—and other members of your family, if you can rope them in—put on a shortened version of one of his favorite plays. How about the opening of King Lear—you know, where he asks his daughters which one loves him most?

Shakespeare Author Cards. This game is marvelous fun for the whole family, but dads are particularly partial to it. Click on the URL and follow the directions.

There you have it! Soon your dad will be saying (if you are female) this:

I have a daughter--have while she is mine--Who, in her duty and obedience, mark,Hath given me this! And I love it. Thanks! (Hamlet, II.ii.119-121)

Bardfilmis normally written as one word, though it can also be found under a search for "Bard Film Blog." Bardfilmis a Shakespeare blog (admittedly, one of many Shakespeare blogs), and it is dedicated to commentary on films (Shakespeare movies, The Shakespeare Movie, Shakespeare on television, Shakespeare at the cinema), plays, and other matter related to Shakespeare (allusions to Shakespeare in pop culture, quotes from Shakespeare in popular culture, quotations that come from Shakespeare, et cetera).

Unless otherwise indicated, quotations from Shakespeare's works are from the following edition:

KJ is a professor of English and Literature at a small Christian liberal arts college. In addition to courses entitled “Shakespeare” and “Introduction to Shakespeare,” he teaches a course called “Shakespeare and Film.” Recently, he developed a course titled “Modern Shakespearean Fiction.” Shakespeare is also integrated into nearly all his other courses, including courses on the Literature of Food and the Literature of Humor. Additionally, he is the author of Bardfilm: The Shakespeare and Film Microblog. But you may have known that already.